Stimulated infrared thermography for the conservation of mural paintings
Programme start: 2011–2012
CICRP: Jean-Marc Vallet (French coordinator)
Partnerships(s): Historic Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH), University of Reims, IDK (Germany), IESL-FORTH (Greece), IGN, MAP-GAMSAU, Avignon Art College (ESSA), Chartreuse de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, SINOPIA restoration workshop, Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments (CRMH) Languedoc-Roussillon
The goal of this programme, which complements the previous one, is to evaluate the feasibility of using infrared thermography as a non-destructive technique to detect voids or any other modification affecting a heritage work (mural painting, painting on wood or canvas, contemporary art on resin) under the surface. This initiative falls under the CICRP‘s largest project aiming to evaluate an array of non-invasive and contactless techniques, the combination of which would allow the creation of a remote diagnostic solution for the state of preservation of these heritage works.
Several data acquisition campaigns have been carried out on roman paintings from Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, the Saint Pierre chapel in Villefranche-sur-Mer, the painted ceiling of the Père Prieur’s cell (Chartreuse de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon) and the painted chapel of Innocent VII (Chartreuse de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon).
This project has been extended with the Franco-German collaboration with the IDK laboratory of Dresden following the programme ‘Stimulated infrared thermography study of the diffusivity variations with depth in cultural heritage property’ held over the period 2011–2012 under the Hubert Curien projects of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
